I'll Always Be There
by Kadasa-Mori
Summary: After a nightmare, Inuyasha must choose... Kikyo or Kagome?


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kaede, or Shippo 

It would be cool to own Naraku. Bad monkey! Bad! Be nice to poor Inu.

I **_never ever ever ever ever ever_** (continues for a long time) want to own evil Kikyo. (A/N: Sorry Kikyo fans.)

I would like to own Kirara but I am allergic to cats.

I **_wish_** I owned Sesshiemaru! Wahhhh!

And I do own Kadasa and my blow up hammer.

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**I'll Always Be There**

**By: KadasaMori**

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The wind fluttered through the trees harshly, cackling as it tore leaves from their branches and pulling them into a whirlwind of green on the cool summer's night. Weaving in and out of the trees it came to the edge of a clearing, noticing a boy standing, staring at a large tree, a girl behind him.

It cackled again and twirled up around the girl, ruffling her strange clothes, a short green skirt and a long sleeved white shirt, her raven hair highlighted with navy fluttering behind her, sapphire eyes focused on the boy standing in front of her.

He was the wind's next target, spinning up around his body clad in a red fire rat haori and pants. His thigh length soft silvery white hair felt good against the wind's face as it blew backwards. His two amber gold eyes were focused on the tree, two soft dog ears on the top of his head flickering every few moments to check for danger.

The boy was a haynou, the wind knew as much, due to the ears, fangs, and claws adorning his humanoid body. The girl behind him was a miko, her soft pink powers only the wind could seeing flowing off of her body giving a sense of calm around the clearing.

The wind scowled. Staring at a tree was not his idea of fun. Turning he cackled and dove for the bushes, seeing leaves explode everywhere from his path, leaving the strange tree-staring pair behind.

The girl stepped forward. "Inuyasha."

The boy didn't say anything to comfort her or even acknowledge her, just continued staring at the tree where a deep hole had made its way in the center of the trunk.

"Inuyasha? Are you all ri-" The girl gave off a quick gasp and the boy finally turned looking at her.

"Kagome?" Her eyes traveled down to her chest and his eyes widened in fear. An arrow had made its way through her chest, piercing her cotton white shirt and spreading a red death around the hole.

She immediately capsized and he caught her, gently setting her on the ground.

"Kagome?" He asked in fear. She gave him a smile then coughed hard, something warm splattering his cheek. He raised a hand to wipe it off and pulling it away saw red. He looked back down at the dying girl as she grimaced then gave him another warm smile.

"I'll be fine Inuyasha. Please. Run. Before she can get you."

"I won't leave you!" He stated roughly.

"While I'm glad to hear it, please… go."

A cackle reached his ears and he turned to see his former love, Kikyo step from the bushes, her pin straight black haired, highlighted in a dark gray, once warm chocolate brown eyes now filled with hate for him and pleasure at the dying girl.

"Kikyo! You did this!" He shouted at her, standing up.

"No! Inuyasha!" Kagome coughed.

A moment later he found himself pinned up to the god tree, none of the arrows piercing his body though, only his clothes so that he couldn't get to Kagome.

Kikyo cackled again. "You find happiness in this reincarnation of mine?" She asked harshly then shot another arrow into the dying girl who screamed as pain filled her with the dark miko's powers.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed. "KAGOMEEEEEEEEEE!"

Kikyo turned to him with a truly evil smile. "You want this girl so bad?" She asked then lifted her bow. "Die along with her then!"

The arrow came at him in slow motion, slowly piercing his flesh. The pain was so intense he started screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" THUD! Inuyasha sat up still shouting and looked wildly around the campsite, not noticing the frightened looks of his companions.

Where was Kikyo! Was Kagome all right!

"Inuyasha?" A voice called. "You all right?"

He turned to see a perfectly fine Kagome halfway out of her sleeping bag. In a flash he was hugging her tightly.

"You're all right!"

"Uh… Am I not supposed to be?" She asked quietly. He paused then realized pulling away.

"It… was a dream." He gave out a sigh of relief then frowned at the familiar ache in his heart. Wincing lightly he stood up and started walking away.

"Inuyasha?" A voice called out. He turned to see Kadasa, Sesshoumaru's best friend, another inuyoukai sitting up next to Sesshoumaru. Just recently, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had joined forces to help fight against Naraku, this inuyoukai following right behind the taiyoukai.

She placed one of her gloved hands on the other, about to pull of the silky blue glove. "Do you want to get rid of the dream?"

He knew she had the power to make him forget but… he shook his head.

"I need some time to think." He stated softly before heading into the woods. Kadasa's eyes flickered over to Kagome who was still looking confused.

She yawned. "Give him about 15 minutes 'gome." She stated, curling back up next to Sesshoumaru. "Then go see him." Sesshoumaru grunted pushing his hands back into his sleeves as Kadasa put her head in his lap, using him as a human… well… inuyoukai pillow.

Sango lay back down on her blanket, petting the startled Kirara back to sleep. Miroku leaned back up against his tree, thoroughly spooked at Inuyasha's actions.

Luckily Shippo was back at Kaede's hut or else they would've never gotten him back to sleep… _if_ he had woken up from Inuyasha's screaming of course.

Kagome was the only one still awake after 15 minutes and she quickly stood up and rushed after the inuyoukai haynou. She found him sitting at the edge of the wide river a few minutes away, staring up at the full moon.

"Inuyasha?" She called out hesitantly.

He jumped and turned looking at her. "Oh." He stated softly looking back up at the moon, ears flat against his head, looking… lost? That was strange. Kagome had never seen him look lost… unless he was thinking about when he was a kid.

"Hey. You all right? You gave us all quite a fright." She stated with a chuckle, trying to make it sound like a joke.

"Gomen nasai."

She frowned. Definitely not Inuyasha.

"All right. Who are you and what have you done with Inuyasha?"

"I _am_ Inuyasha." He snapped.

She giggled. "There's the Inuyasha we all know and love." He snorted and she giggled again. "So are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"Iie."

"And why not?"

"Because I don't wanna."

"Why not?"

"Cause I don't feel like it."

"Why not?"

"Damn it Kagome! Leave me alone! I don't want to talk about it!" He snapped baring his fangs.

While any other human would've turned tail and sped away from the furious haynou, Kagome just stood there, a blank expression on her face. While his claws were inches from her throat, she knew he'd never hurt her.

"So are you gonna tell me?"

"IIE! Leave me alone!"

He turned stomping down the riverside. She sprung next to him, locking her arms behind her back and walking in step with him. If he pushed her away it meant he really didn't and wasn't going to talk about it. If he allowed her to walk next to him, it meant he wanted to talk about it, he just needed some more time.

He didn't say a word, just pushing his hands into his sleeves and glaring at the ground as the walked away from camp.

Kagome took that as he would talk about it so she didn't pester him, instead enjoying the cool night air. They turned off the riverbed and headed into the forest, making their way up a hill to the top.

After a few minutes he suddenly sighed and turned looking back at the moon. She stopped next to him, watching the glowing orb, waiting for him to speak. He flopped down onto a tree log on the top of the hill, looking out over the valley. She sat down softly next to him, not staring at him and waiting for him to speak but looking out over the valley. He would talk when he wanted to.

"We were standing in the god tree clearing." He stated softly. "I was staring at the tree and you were trying to talk to me… but I wasn't listening."

Kagome held back her snort thinking _like you ever do?_

"You stopped talking and it was your silence that alerted me and I turned to find you with an arrow in your chest."

Kagome frowned. She knew where this was going.

"You fell over and I couldn't help you then… Kikyo showed up and pinned me to the god tree and I couldn't help you. She just kept shooting you with arrows and I couldn't do anything."

Kagome wanted to comfort him but he had to let it all out, vent and steam then she could talk to him.

"Kikyo turned to me and told me that if I wanted to be with you so bad then I could die along with you and she shot me. The pain was so intense when I woke up… I could still feel it."

Kagome waited a moment to make sure he was done then sighed. "Well, maybe it was just… you were so scared from the nightmare, you were thinking you could still feel the pain." He didn't argue so that meant he was waiting for her opinion.

"As for what I was talking about, can you remember?"

He shook his head. "That last thing I remember you saying was that you wanted to know if I was all right before you were shot. Then you kept telling me to leave and save myself but I refused."

She leaned over and hugged him. "Why arigatou gozaimasu Inuyasha."

He didn't pull away but didn't hug her back. She took that as an 'arigatou-for-the-hug-but-I'm-a-strong-guy-and-won't-hug-you-back-cause-I'll-look-soft.'

Smiling to herself she stood up. "All right Inuyasha. I'm going back to camp. I'll see you in a little while."

He nodded to her, still deep in thought. She bent down so that their eyes were level.

"Hey." She tapped his chin. "Chin up all right?"

He gave her a small smile and nodded. She stood up and ruffled his hair, making him scowl at her. She giggled then headed back towards camp.

He turned back to the moon when there was a startled shriek and the scent of coppery blood in the air. Jumping up he rushed towards the scent when he realized _This is Kagome's scent!_

Snarling he bounded into the clearing to find Kagome bound by Kikyo's soul stealers against the god tree. Inuyasha's eyes flashed from her to the dark miko standing across the clearing, just lowered her bow. He snapped his head back to Kagome seeing a small cut on her cheek, an arrow lying discarded on the ground nearby.

"Kikyo…" He snarled softly. "How dare you hurt Kagome."

"She was in my way Inuyasha." She stated coldly. "She was in _our_ way." She held out her arms to him. "Now come my love. We will depart for the fires of hell."

Inuyasha froze, his promise to always protect Kikyo ringing in his ears. But then his promise to protect Kagome also rang in his ears.

_ I know Kikyo loved me but do I love her? Can I ever truly forget her? _

He scowled glancing back at Kikyo, seeing Kagome looking heart fallen at the new arrangements and of his silence.

_I… I don't think I can forget her or stop loving her but the Kikyo of today is nothing more than a clay pot! It's Kagome that I love now!_

"Kikyo…" He stated softly walking to her side. He heard Kagome give off a whimpered '_no_!' from behind him.

He walked up to the dead miko's side and she smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"Inuyasha." She sighed then gasped as something slashed through her stomach and she stepped backwards.

"Gomen nasai Kikyo but you're not the real Kikyo. The Kikyo I knew would have never harmed an innocent girl to get what she wanted. You're nothing but an imposter!" He shouted, slashing at the miko again. She shrieked and suddenly fell to pieces.

He sighed and watched all the souls glow in a blue light then float out of the clearing, one flying towards the stunned teenager who gasped as it reentered her body and the soul stealers disappeared sending her tumbling to the ground.

She looked up at Inuyasha shakily. "Inuyasha?" She asked quietly, glancing between him and the dust left behind.

He walked over to her side. "I've thought about it a lot over the past couple of weeks. I've been having more and more of these nightmares and I was starting to think it was an omen. I've also been taking into consideration the facts that you, Miroku, Sango, even Shippo and Kaede have told me.

"Kikyo died 50 years ago. The Kikyo that roamed these lands now were nothing but an imposter, a clay doll whose hatred for me in the last moments of the real Kikyo's life in this world ruled her thoughts and actions. I decided that I couldn't take the chance she'd try to take out you when she tried to take out me."

Kagome's eyes were brimming with tears. "Inuyasha…"

"I will always be there for you Kagome." Inuyasha stated softly then added as an after thought, "Unless I get there too late. Then don't worry as your being murdered cause you'll know that I'll kill the guy who killed you."

She gave him a dull look then rolled her eyes. "Oh arigatou Inuyasha for that most touching statement."

He smirked. "Then this won't surprise you at all." He bent down and kissed her quickly. "Ashiteru." He muttered after he pulled away from the stunned girl.

She blinked in a daze then pounced at him kissing him back and hugging him tightly. "Ashiteru Inuyasha! Ashiteru!"

As they walked back hand in hand into the camp, Inuyasha whispered another 'ashiteru' into her ear, giving her a kiss and dropping her hand, stuffing his own into his sleeves, walking into the fire lit. The group looked up in anticipation.

Kagome mentally rolled her eyes. _So he wants our relationship to be a secret. Whatever. As long as there is a relationship._

Kadasa looked up sleepily from Sesshoumaru's lap. She raised a gloved hand.

"Want me to get rid of it?" She asked sleepily yawning.

"Iie." He stated with a smirk. "I think I'll keep this one."

"Whatever." She stated and curled back up. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, quietly falling back to sleep.

Kagome sent Sango and Miroku a reassuring smile, both of them curling back up. She looked up into the tree as Inuyasha settled in, glancing back down at her with a smile.

'_You'll always be there for me Inuyasha, and I'll always be there for you.'_

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**Kadasa**: _((sniffles and wipes tear away)) _That was so adorable.

**Sesshoumaru**: _((eye twitching))_ I only had about two parts in the entire thing.

**Kadasa**: _((sticks tongue out))_ Well it wasn't about you.

**Sango**: That was so cute Kadasa!

**Kagome**: _((mutters))_ Now if we could only get that realization through his thick head we could have this in real life.

**Inuyasha**: _((snorts as he wakes up))_ What? Is it over?

**Miroku**: _((snickers))_

**Sango & Kagome**: _((sigh))_

**Kadasa**: Inuyasha! How dare you fall asleep during my fanfic!

**Inuyasha**: _((whines)) _I was tired!

**Kadasa**: _((blows up human sized hammer and chases after the shrieking haynou))_

**Sesshoumaru**: _((snorts))_ Whatever.

**Sango & Kagome**: Please review!

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__Translations_

Arigatou - thanks

Arigatou gozaimasu – thank you

Ashiteru – I love you

Gomen nasai – I'm sorry

Haori – like a gi

Haynou – ½ demon

Iie – no

Inuyoukai – dog demon

Miko – priestess

Taiyoukai – demon lord


End file.
